Xu Ning is a fictional character in Water Margin, one of the four great classical novels in Chinese literature. Nicknamed "Gold Lancer", he ranks 18th among the 36 Heavenly Spirits, the first third of the 108 Stars of Destiny.
The novel depicts Xu Ning as six chi tall, having a pale face studded with thick eyebrows, a thin moustache and ample at the waistline. An expert in spears, he is a rare master of the hooked lance, a Chinese spear with a hook attached next to the tip. He serves as the instructor of the Gold Lancers Unit of the imperial guard in Dongjing, the imperial capital of the Song Empire.
